Western Tropical vs. Vedic Sidereal Astrology
I started studying Western Astrology in 2013. I have received multiple readings, and have purchased “reports”. Some things made sense, but mostly I’d leave feeling a bit confused and unsure. They told me who I was… no room for growth or evolution.
“You’re going to have chronic disease and be sick your whole life.”
Or, they were showing me a progression chart and didn’t know how to interpret it.
“Your Jupiter is going retrograde for the rest of your life, it’s hard to know what that means.”
Much was left up to grasping onto threads to make meaning, with so much weight being put on zodiac signs (personality), and many aspecting relationships between planets.
Don’t get me wrong, Western Astrology is fun, I just don’t resonate with it anymore.
In Western Astrology the Sun is the most important sign of the native. Sun rules the day and it is highest in the sky in the 10th house of career. The Sun is the father; it nourishes life, but it can also burn. The Sun is the King. Western astrology is Patriarchal. Nothing wrong with that, it just is.
In Vedic Astrology (Jyotish), the natives moon holds the most significance. The moon rules the night and rules the 4th house of home, land, and matriarchal lineage. The moon offers a cool elixir, a reprieve from the heat of the day (a feeling that makes more sense if you’ve lived in an endlessly hot climate). The Moon is the Queen. Vedic Sidereal Astrology is Matriarchal. Nothing “better” about it, it just is.
The King and Queen are both royalty of our sky and obviously they are both important to our existence on Earth. In our birth charts they both hold much significance. They are friends, the Sun and Moon. They King and Queen are on the same team of course.
Although I am Mercurial, which is a “neutral sign”, I have a womb. Of course my being resonates with a feminine framework. Here are some other components of Jyotish that light my heart and enliven my soul:
— Planetary phases of one’s life, called “dashas” give perspective to different circumstances happening at various times. This can allow one to act and plan accordingly as well as gain a deeper understanding and compassion for yourself and all beings who are going through challenging phases.
— Nakshatras, or “lunar mansions”, are like mini constellations. Before house systems the ancient seers and sages found 27-28 nakshatras in the sky, all with their own dieties and myths to accompany them. I find it beautiful to remember that these myths came out of a need to be able to pass down information and wisdom orally because writing was less common at the time as it is now. Jyotish is an ancient oral tradition dating back as much as 12,000 years. Western Tropical dates back about 2,000 years.
— The actual visual of the chart is a square with triangles and diamonds for each house (as opposed to circular in Western). Out of all the shapes, squares are the most stable. We want the blueprint of our life to bee stable. Besides the significance of the shape, the layout of the Jyotish chart is much more intuitive. It just makes sense.
— Subcharts, aka harmonic charts. In assessing different aspects of life, Jyotish takes into account more than the one birth chart. Subcharts are created from divisions of the main chart, and each one allows for an added perspective of whatever areas of life we are curious about and digging into.
— Developing and deepening relationships with planets (grahas), allowing further understanding of planetary combinations as well as a more holistic options for navigating the waves of life on Earth.
— Jyotish interprets the night’s sky as it is. Western Astrology doesn’t use the constellations of the stars, but rather is based on the Earth’s seasons.
When I first learned of Sidereal astrology a few years ago I struggled to rectify these two systems. I felt torn, unsure of how to orient, not knowing how to make sense of it. How could someone have two completely different charts, and both of them be “right”? I let it go, not wanting to feel the need to make sense of it.
But over time, the more I studied Jyotish, the more I feel embodied in it making so much sense. It is astounding, yet not surprising, how spot on my own chart is as well as others. I did a reading for a professional Western Astrologer and she was down-right relieved to receive the information from her vedic chart, which offered a completely new perspective to her journey here on Earth. What joy!
This magical system is an immense gift that I have had the honour of carrying through various lifetimes. And in this one, I bring it to individuals and couples looking to make sense of their own lives, relationships, purpose, and more.
May you be blessed and embodying the blessing of life that you are!
